Rescue 911 - The Event

Written by Dianne Hegarty

This program was developed as a Junior First Aid Badge Workshop.

The first section is a teaching rotation dealing with different aspects of first aid. Qualified instructors and/or demonstrators are essential to the success of this portion. Handouts of the information at each station are made available (copies can be made of the information portion of each table).

Station #1 - Rescue Breathing Demonstration

Preferable: Get First Aid Instructor to demonstrate at this station

Supplies: Information to Include:
   Actars or other mannequin   Check airway, head tilt, chin lift
Check breathing, give 2 slow breaths
Check Pulse
Rescue breathing: 
  • 1 breath every 5 seconds for adults
  • 1 breath every 3 seconds for children

Station #2 - Lyme Disease Discussion

Preferable: Get health care professional or veterinarian to present this information.

Supplies:

 Information to Include:
            What is Lyme Disease?
  1. Infection resulting from the bite of a tick.
  2. Often undetected, if untreated, can be serious.
  3. Many ticks carry the disease.
  4. Ticks do not fly or jump but wait on vegetation until a host walks by that they can cling to.
Prevention:
  1. Avoid walking in dense woods. Stay near center of trails and roads.
  2. Wear proper clothing - a shirt tucked into pants with snug collar and cuffs, long pants (preferably light colored) tucked into socks, and good shoes.
  3. Insect repellent may be helpful.
  4. Check clothing and body for ticks after returning from outdoors.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease:
  1. Slowly expanding red rash
  2. Fatigue
  3. Headache
  4. Pain and stiffness in muscles and joints
  5. Slight fever
  6. Swollen glands
Treatment for Lyme Disease:
  1. When bitten by tick, remove  with tweezers. Grasp tick near the mouth parts and tug gently but firmly until the tick releases its hold on your skin.
  2. Wash hands and bite site.
  3. Save tick in a jar or plastic bag labeled with date and physical location of the bite. Watch the area of the bite for signs of a rash.
  4. See doctor and follow his/her directions.

Station #3 - Choking First Aid Demonstration

Any first aid trained person should be able to demonstrate this.

Supplies: Information to Include:
        Ask victim, "Are you choking?"
If victim can cough, speak or breathe, leave alone & encourage them to continue coughing.
When victim cannot cough, speak or breathe:
  1. Stand behind victim and place arms around them.
  2. Locate navel with one hand, place the fist of the other directly above the navel.
  3. Place other hand over the fist.
  4. Squeeze up and in repeatedly until obstruction is removed.

Station #4 - Sprains & Fractures - Splint demonstration

A sports  injury health professional would be a good consultant here.
Supplies: Information to Include:
Do not move the injured person unless necessary to maintain their safety.
Keep injured person calm.
Ice pack Apply cold compresses to affected area to prevent further swelling
Splints, Triangular bandages Apply splint only if you must move a person to maintain their safety.

Station #5 - Cuts, Bruises, & Stopping Bleeding

First Aid trained person should be able to facilitate this.
Supplies: Information to Include:
Bandages Cuts:
  1. Small: Clean with soap and water and cover with bandage.
  2. Large: see below on stopping bleeding
Ice pack Bruises:
  1. Place damp cold cloth on area.
  2. Ice will reduce swelling.
4"x4"'s

roller bandages

 Stopping Bleeding:
  1. Using clean cloth, apply direct pressure to wound.
  2. If still bleeding, elevate wound.
  3. If still bleeding, apply additional dressing to wound.
  4. If still bleeding, apply pressure at pressure point.
latex gloves Safety Precaution:
  1. Wear latex gloves when treating open wounds.

Station #6 - Hypothermia vs Heat Stroke

First aid trained person should be able to facilitate this.
Supplies: Hypothermia Info to Include: Heat Stroke Info to Include:
Symptoms:
  1. Shivering
  2. Difficulty thinking,
  3. Loss of memory evident
  4. Motions may be jerky & erratic,
  5. Skin may be blue & puffy
Symptoms:
  1. Hot, red, dry skin
  2. Rapid, weak, pulse
  3. Changes in consciousness
  4. 4. Rapid, shallow breathing
Treatment:
  1. Remove wet clothing & dry victim
  2. Shelter victim from wind & cold
  3. Warm victim slowly by wrapping in blankets or putting on dry clothes.
Treatment:
  1. Get victim out of heat.
  2. Removed perspiration soaked clothing
  3. Apply cool wet cloths to victim, Fan victim.
  4. 4. If conscious, give cool water slowly.
Layered clothing Prevention:
  1. Dress appropriate for environment
  2. Make sure you have adequate nutrition & liquids
  3. Change your activity level depending on the temperature
Prevention:
  1. Dress appropriate for environment
  2. Make sure you have adequate nutrition & liquids
  3. Change your activity level depending on the temperature

The next section is a hands-on segment - the girls will each make their own individual first aid kits and place in either a film canister can or a pill container. Following is a list of supplies needed for each girl in addition to the container: 

Around the outside you wrap six to eight inches of bandage tape (the white stuff)...making sure to trap a loop of twine so the whole thing can be hung on your hat.

Then write "First Aid" on the outside, and hang from your hat with a large safety pin! (note that the bandage tape and safety pin are also part of the kit)

We hope to get a 911 dispatcher to speak as a consultant. This section would cover appropriateness of calling 911, what to do, what information to give, etc.

Rescue 911

This segment is a re-enactment of the following scenarios. The participants are divided into 6 groups (this may be adjusted based on the number of participants). Each groups is given one of the scenarios to discuss and then plan how to re-enact. They are given about 30 minutes to come up with their solution. When all groups are ready, the "show" begins with the introduction and continues with each scenario.

Introduction:

When time is running out and a life is slipping away, drastic measures may be the only hope of turning a victim into a survivor. I'm Wilhemina Shattered. Tonight, true stories of Girl Scouts whose courage is an inspiration on Rescue 9-1-1.

Scenario #1

It was a pleasant day in  March of 1995 when ten year old twin sisters, Sally and Jane McFaddin, were playing in their back yard in Hughson, California. Their neighbor, Jesse Taylor, also 10, was playing in the tree overlooking the McFaddin yard. All of a sudden, the girls heard a tremendous cracking sound and turned to see the branch, with Jesse along too, come crashing to the ground. Jesse screamed as he fell and landed on his arm. The girls, having had some first aid training in Girl Scouts, rushed to see if they could help. Jesse was screaming in pain and was cradling his left arm to his chest.

Scenario #2

Little did 15 year old Julie Akers know that the Community First Aid and Safety Class she had taken as part of her Emergency Preparedness Interest Project in Cadette Girl Scouts would prove to be instrumental in the life of her friend. In June of 1996, Julie and her best friend since Kindergarten, Carol Myers, were shopping at their local mall in Stockton, California. After a satisfying lunch at a fast food place, they were anxious to check out the new Dillard's department store. They were in the jewelry department looking at earrings when all of a sudden, Carol swayed for a moment then collapsed to the ground. In all the years Julie had known Carol, she had never fainted like this. Luckily, Julie remembered her first aid training.

Scenario #3

Junior Troop 123 from Modesto, California was attending Snow Camp in the hills above Sonora in January of 1997. They had been playing outside their cabin all morning, participating in the sledding activities as well as the snowman building contest. Sarah Jones, 11, had come to the event with only one pair of knit mittens instead of the snow gloves her leader had recommended and found them soaking wet midway through the snowman contest. At the end of the contest, she began to shiver uncontrollably. Her buddy, Carrie Smart, noticed this and went to tell their leader, Mrs. Bellows. When Mrs. Bellows returned, she found Sarah still shivering, with lips turning blue, and complaining of not being able to feel her fingers.

Scenario #4

In 1996, on their routine yearly campout to Sequoia National Park, Junior troop 612 from Clovis, California, was earning their Outdoor Cook badge. It was the "Badger" patrol's turn to fix the snack of "Apple Boats". While the other girls were measuring the rest of the ingredients, 11 year old Samantha Hastings and her friend, Lisa Higgins, were cutting the apples. The "Tiger" patrol was practicing their skit for that evening's campfire and Samantha was somewhat watching while cutting the apples at the same time. At one point, she looked up and immediately her right hand slipped and she cut her hand.The blood was spurting badly. Lisa ran to get their leader, "Sunshine", who, luckily had taken First Aid as part of her leadership training and so she could instruct the girls on how to help.

Scenario #5

At the spring 1997 Service Unit Cookout in Caswell State Park near Ripon, California, Brownie Troop 233 from Manteca were cooking hot dogs on a stick. When everyone was done, they all gathered around the table for grace then they started their meal. Third grader, Angie Parnell was telling funny stories and everyone was laughing and having a good time. In laughing, little 6 year old Mandy Hardin swallowed her hot dog and it got stuck. She grabbed her throat and couldn't seem to breathe. Her friend, 8 year old, Molly Clark, rushed to her side. Having just learned how to help a friend from choking while earning her "Safety" Try-It, Molly knew just what to do.

Scenario #6

Fourteen year old Cadette Girl Scout, Katie Harris, was babysitting her sister in her home in Lafayette, California in the fall of 1997 while their mother was taking their other two sisters to dance class. Katie was doing her homework while 2 year old Casey was occupied with a stack of blocks.  Being engrossed in her homework, she did not notice Casey get bored with her blocks and wander down the hall. Sensing the sudden silence, she turned around to find Casey gone. A further search of the house found Casey in the bathroom, lying on the floor, with an open bottle of nail polish remover lying at her side.

Closing:

Every year in this country, thousands of people suffer injuries. This program is dedicated to all  the men, women, and especially Girl Scouts who know what to do in life or death situations. I'm Wilhemina Shattered. Join us again next time with more true stories on Rescue 911.

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